Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley could lose job in Monday night board meeting

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- After rising through the ranks at Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) for decades, Keith Posley's run as superintendent could come to a halt on Monday night.

This comes amid news of a financial scandal after the district failed to submit key financial reports from 2023 to the state.

The delay makes it impossible for Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) officials to calculate aid estimates for state school districts in 2024/2025.

DPI officials said that puts MPS at risk of losing millions of dollars -- $15.7 million specifically in special education funding -- in addition to a likely "significant reduction" in general state aid payments in the 2024-2025 school year. 

About two weeks ago, federal officials suspended funding for Head Start, a free preschool program serving low-income families, saying there wasn't a system in place to keep kids safe.

All of this also happening after voters approved a $252 million-dollar referendum for MPS in April, giving it the highest amount of funding among Milwaukee Co. School Districts.

To avoid the financial cuts, the state needs information from MPS by July 1 and a corrective action plan that will then face DPI approval.

Rob Henken, the president of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, told CBS 58 one guess for the delay could be "major unresolved issues."

"We don't know why the publication of the audited financial statements has been delayed," Henken said. "It's even a bigger problem obviously not only because the state can now withhold the dollars but because it does cause issues for every other school district in the state of Wisconsin."

The board meeting discussing the superintendent's current role will be held at 5:30 p.m. on June 3 at MPS' Central Office.

The meeting will also include a public hearing on the district's budget and funding, which is the only time public comments made either in-person or virtually will be allowed.

CBS 58 will have a crew at the meeting. Stay tuned for updates.